Cry Wolf
by Seph Meadowes
Summary: Tyler Lockwood and Caroline Forbes are the IT couple of Mystic Falls until an accident causes Tyler's werewolf side to awaken. AU. Complete.


It was summer and it was hot and humid as they waited to load their buses that would take them to a cheer camp for the girls and a football camp for the boys.

Caroline broke off from her usual posse to greet Tyler at his bus, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down for a kiss. He pulled back, smiling at her.

"Can't you believe it's been a week?" He remarked.

She smiled back, asking, "Since when?"

"Since I last got any! I want you." He pulled her closer, his hands on her hips tightening with desire. "I expect a moonlit rendezvous tonight, complete with hot chocolate."

"How romantic."

"Caroline!" Bonnie shouted, motioning for her to come over and get on the bus as the driver turned the engine on.

Caroline rolled her eyes before smiling once more at Tyler. "Catch you later?"

"Definitely."

One more kiss and they were off.

* * *

The football team and the cheer leading squad shared a bathroom in the middle of the area.

While there, Caroline heard a loud crash from the boys' bathroom, curiously she opened the door sounding out a 'hello' and when she got no answer looked around the empty room, she looked underneath the bathroom stalls and found a collapsed body. Pushing the door open, she saw Tyler.

"Tyler!"

She rushed towards him and tried to wake him to no avail.

She went out for help and found Matt. She told him what was wrong and they hurriedly rushed Tyler to the clinic.

They settled him down at one of the cots. Tyler having woken up from the trip, he said he was fine.

"No, you're not." Caroline protested worriedly.

"_No_, I'm fine." He insisted, rubbing his sore head. "I told you, _I'm fine_."

Caroline just wrapped her arms around his sitting form from behind and kissed the sweat in his hair. He sighed and leaned back into her as the nurse started to fuss over him.

* * *

No one talked about the incident in the bathroom for the rest of the summer. In fact, no one mentioned it at all until it was forgotten, forever to be covered up by more inane matters like the first football game of the season once school started.

Caroline was in her cheer leading uniform, readying the cheerleaders for the match as the coach started on his speech. Tyler basked in the attention like the peacock that he was and she cheered him on like the good girlfriend she was expected to be even though she could _literally_ see his head swell.

The game started and they cheered as the team won. They lifted Tyler up unto his teammates' shoulders as they chanted 'TYLER! TYLER!'

Caroline screamed happily with Bonnie as the chanting progressed, eventually Tyler made his way to her and pulled her into a passionate kiss. She squealed into it like a schoolgirl, blushing when someone wolf whistled at them.

* * *

They drove home in Tyler's car later that night. Matt didn't have a ride and rode with them at the back while Caroline continued to replay the game for them.

"…and then the touchdown and it was _awesome_." She ended, giggling when Tyler grinned at her, hands tapping on the steering wheel.

"I love you." He said, laughing when Matt called him mushy and made whipping noises.

"I love you too." She pulled him into a kiss unexpectedly, making the car swerve as Tyler temporarily let go of the wheel.

Matt shouted a curse as Tyler once again regained control of the car. "Not funny, guys!"

"Sorry." Caroline murmured sheepishly.

* * *

"Do you hear that?" Tyler asked out of the blue after a while. They had been bantering about the game for quite a while until Tyler stopped, apparently hearing something.

Caroline couldn't hear anything out of the ordinary. "Hear what?"

"That noise…" Tyler was looking around as he spoke of this mysterious noise, looking very distracted.

Even Matt couldn't hear it either. "What noise?"

Then Tyler was screaming.

And he let go of the wheel.

"TYLER!" Caroline shouted before they crashed.

* * *

Tyler wasn't moving. Caroline found herself gasping for breath as she stared down at his still form.

The medic was checking for his vitals and Tyler still wasn't waking up.

Why wasn't he waking up?

"You okay?" Matt asked as they both stared at Tyler in worry.

"Yeah… I'm fine." She muttered as she tried to control her fast racing heart and her gasping breath, she felt like she couldn't breathe. This was too much.

Please wake up, Tyler. Please wake up.

This isn't funny anymore. Wake up, please.

"What the hell?" The medic said suddenly, seeing something apparently abnormal.

Then Tyler was gasping for breath as his eyes shuttered open.

Caroline let out a breath. She could breathe again.

* * *

Tyler had been avoiding her since the accident. He was avoiding everyone actually. He didn't want to talk about the accident? Then fine.

But she couldn't live with him avoiding her. She _needed _to know he was okay and she was going to find out no matter how much persuasion and persistence it took!

So came Monday morning, she walked into the courtyard with a purpose, stopping when she spotted Tyler shooting hoops by himself. She approached him slowly. He turned as if hearing her approach and his expression shuttered close like blinds, like he was hiding.

Well, she wouldn't let him hide anymore.

"Hey!" She greeted him cheerily.

He replied less exuberantly, coolly. "Hey."

She tried again. "How are you?"

He didn't immediately answer, only looked away as if he couldn't bear to look at her. It made her heart sink into her stomach and down to her feet. She felt rejected, unwanted and unneeded. And these were the emotions Tyler normally brought out the opposite of. She usually never felt those kinds of things around him, usually she felt loved, cherished, needed.

But not today.

Something was up with him,

"I'm fine." He finally replied and without even a goodbye turned around and walked away.

She watched with confusion and desire to be closer to him, his rejection spurning on her need to be near him, to know the truth. She was going to find out and he had no say about it whatsoever.

* * *

She started stalking Tyler. Okay, better word, _following _him. Being there wherever he was, hovering, inspecting, and snooping. She made sure his business was her business and whatever he was doing, she was doing.

She knew the influx of attention was annoying him. She could see from the way he glared at her whenever she would insert herself into conversations and ask people around about him like a professional journalist.

But if he was going to try and shut her out of his life then he better suck it up because she wasn't going to take it down lightly. She would fight for him like he would fight for her if the situation was reversed. She knew he wouldn't have given up on her and she wasn't giving up on him.

"Caroline, leave me alone!" He practically growled out as she followed him outside to his car.

"No! We need to talk." She panted as she tried to keep up with him in her three inch heeled boots. Damn it, she was getting out of shape. "You need to stop avoiding me."

He stopped abruptly, causing her to bump into him, He caught her easily from falling with one arm and didn't let go. "I have better things to do then to get involved in your petty high school girl dramas." He shook her lightly and she shrugged him off, pulling on her bag strap closer to keep it from falling.

"Of course you do!" She protested. "You're _my boyfriend_! You should try acting like it again."

His jaw tightened in anger. It was always like this with him nowadays, always so angry at what she didn't know. It wasn't particularly pointed at her but he was angry and right now she was his punching bag, "I'm done being your boyfriend. Find another one!"

She stood her ground, shaking her head. "No!"

He pulled away from her, looking like he was about to punch something. Instead, he kicked a nearby trashcan causing It to hit a car and made the alarm go off. She watched with hot eyes, feeling like she was about to burst into tears as he looked shamefully back at her before turning and getting into his car.

* * *

Tyler had a secret.

It started after the accident when he woke up relatively without a scratch on him and feeling angrier than ever at everything and everyone, even sweet Caroline who wanted to do nothing but help him.

And for days, he wondered what was wrong with him. Asking his parents questions they couldn't answer and reading old journals that just confused him more. He tried the internet but all that gave him was the need to go to the therapist and he didn't want to spend time and money on that.

It wasn't until his Uncle Mason came over to visit that he got his answers.

He explained to the older man what he had been feeling these past few days, not expecting him to understand like his parents didn't but Mason surprised him when he just nodded and asked for him to continue talking as if he was expecting those words to fall out of his mouth.

"I don't want to be like this anymore." He finished, looking down at his feet, not able to stand looking into his uncle's honest grey blue eyes anymore.

His uncle was quiet and then he spoke. "That's why it's a curse, Tyler."

Tyler looked up and asked for an elaboration.

What he heard next caused him to almost lose his lunch.

* * *

He was a werewolf. Huh.

He hadn't expected that but his uncle wasn't kidding apparently and even showed him a video of his first transformation. It was an excruciating eight-hour video that left Tyler scared and broken.

He was so terrified, he couldn't move or speak and as his uncle left him to think things over, he only did one thing – he called Caroline.

* * *

Caroline knew he wouldn't keep himself away for long. She had faith in people and she had faith in Tyler and she knew that whatever was bothering him would force him back into her arms…or go to therapy.

But she was really glad he came to her.

He was back to being her faithful and dedicated boyfriend and she loved him every bit for it but he was _different_. Quieter and still very, very angry – he walked around like he had the world's weight on his shoulders not like the older Tyler who strutted as if he owned the school. No, this Tyler was different.

And she was worried about him, so much. And she tried to help him but he still kept her at bay.

What was wrong with him? What was he hiding? She had to know.

So one day after class, he was taking her home and when they arrived at her house, she pulled him into a kiss, surprising him. He kissed back but it was hesitant like he was afraid to touch her.

"What's wrong?" She asked, caressing his face with her pale fingers. "Talk to me."

His eyes were closed blinds. "I can't."

She wasn't giving up. "Tell me."

"No." He was firm and he pulled away from her. "You should get out."

_Before it's too late_…

She heard the silent subtext.

She got out of the car, turning back to him before she closed the door and saying, "I love you. Hold on to that."

He didn't say anything, just revved the engine and he was gone.

* * *

Caroline was on the phone with Tyler. She was chatting about her day, ranting about Tiki and gushing over Bonnie's new boyfriend when Tyler said goodnight and hang up.

Or at least tried to until Caroline asked the big question.

"Why won't you confide in me?"

He was silent on the other end and she counted heartbeats before he spoke again. "It's not really fair to be with someone and not really let them know who you are."

She took this in, letting the words sink in to digest and be scrutinized.

Suddenly, she was angry.

"You know, it's like you don't want anyone to care about you!" She shouted, so pissed off she could barely take it. "Why Tyler? What's so horrible that you can't tell me about it? What's so bad about you, you can't tell me, your devoted girlfriend, about?"

There was the dial tone.

He'd hung up.

* * *

Tyler had his reasons for keeping Caroline in the dark. For one, to pull an Edward Cullen, he didn't want to end up hurting her. Physically or emotionally but he'd been doing the latter a lot lately since every conversation ended up with her crying and him feeling like a little shit for causing it in the first place.

He felt like such a prick for what he was doing to her. Continuously giving her hints about himself and then pulling away when she tried to ask for more. Mixed signals anyone?

But he didn't know what to do. He loved her, couldn't bear the thought of leaving her but he was dangerous. The full moon was coming up and so did his first transformation and he was scared shitless out of his mind.

What was he going to do? Mason had left for Florida the week prior leaving him to his fate all by himself. And Caroline…she'd never understand. She'd tried to but she'd just end up resenting him once she found out or worse fearing him for what he was to become.

They were at another party being hosted at his house. Caroline looked sinful in a blood red dress that showed off her lovely legs and he stared like a dying man in thirst as she walked around in her tall heels, looking elegant and incredible.

She spotted him from a far, looking hesitant before approaching him.

He tried to avoid her, going into his father's empty study but she followed him in there, closing the door behind her for privacy as she approached him.

"Hi." She said shyly which made him raise an eyebrow. Caroline Forbes was a lot of things and 'shy' wasn't one of them.

"Hi." He greeted back, feeling just as confident as her.

He didn't know what to say. Their last conversation ended up in her shouting at him and him hanging up on her. He didn't think he could do the same now since it was in person and Caroline looked determined to talk things over with him.

"Look," She took a seat beside him on the couch. "I came here today to talk to you because as much of an ass you've been lately, I don't want you to be alone." She sighed, clutching unto his hand and squeezing. "I want to be there for you."

"What if I don't want you to?" He tested out the words and they felt foreign on his tongue. What was he saying?

She looked taken back before clutching unto his other hand until she was holding both. "I'll still be there for you anyway."

"Why?"

He couldn't understand why she would selflessly be there for him. Why did he mean so much to her?

"Because I love you, you idiot!" She smiled and he couldn't help but return it.

He stood up…and felt his heart catch fire.

He collapsed unto his knees, clutching unto his chest as Caroline panicked.

"_What's happening_?"

He looked up at her, her eyes widening in shock.

"Y-Your eyes…"

And he knew. They were gold.

* * *

The full moon was tonight and he could feel his skin heat up, his bones ache, his mind becoming edgier by the minute. He felt like he was about to literally break out of his skin. He was to become a wolf tonight and Caroline was there to help.

He'd told her after the party. He just couldn't keep it from her anymore, not after what she saw and how much she loved him. She loved him so much she was there for him for this, through probably the toughest time of his life.

And it hurt like hell. His bones rearranged, lengthened and broke and his skin became fur, his teeth became fang and suddenly he was gone.

He wasn't Tyler anymore.

* * *

Caroline stared behind bars at the dark wolf glaring up at her menacingly from behind bars. She watched with curious eyes at the gold eyes that stared back at her.

"Tyler…" She said hesitantly and screamed when he lunged at the bars, trying to break free and get to her.

She fell on her backside, scrambling backwards as the beast growled and tried to get near her…to kill her. She shivered from fear.

But he was Tyler in there. It was still the boy she loved.

She waited hours and watched as he transformed back to his human self. Fascinated, she opened the bars and draped a blanket over his naked form, him shivering in her arms as she clutched him closer to her for warmth as he cried into her arms.

"You made it." She said in relief. "You're okay."

"No, I'm not." He choked out as he continued to cry.

* * *

It worked out for the best. So he was a werewolf and once a month, he transformed into a murdering evil beast that wanted to kill everything in sight.

But he had a girlfriend who was there for him and would continue being there for him as long as he needed her and even when he didn't.

"You ready?" She asked as she got into his car.

He nodded before pulling her into a kiss, nipping on her lower lip as she pulled away.

"I love you." He leaned his forehead against hers and looked into her blue, blue eyes. God, she was beautiful.

"I love you too."

* * *

_Fin._

* * *

**Dedicated to rjt040190** **for being such an awesome reviewer lately. Hoped you like my AU Forwood, I should really update my other fics but this came to me in a dream and I had to do it. **

**Except that dream made absolutely no sense. For one, there were policemen there and they didn't take Tyler to the clnic, they took him to a classroom where the teacher refused to lay him down on the table so he was sitting down. Weird, I know.**


End file.
